Microsoft’s Youngest Ever Certified Professional

When you were five-years-old, what were you doing? Playing with figures and building improbable machines from Meccano, if you’re anything like us. But child progidy Ayan Qureshi was being far more productive – he was busy studying and passing the exams to become the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional.

According the Microsoft, the test ‘validates IT professional and developer technical expertise through rigorous, industry-proven and industry-recognised exams.’ But don’t let the fact that a five-year-old passed fool you; it’s certainly no reflection on the difficulty of the Microsoft test, which is taken by those who wish to become IT technicians. Far from it, in fact, with Qureshi finding the test ‘difficult, but enjoyable.’

Invigilators at the test centre were originally concerned that Qureshi was too young. His father assured them otherwise, and, through a series of multiple choice questions, scenario-based questions and drag-and-drop questions, he proved the doubters wrong.

Sure, Qureshi’s father is an IT consultant, so the lad’s grown up surrounded by the know-how, but passing the test was all down to his own perseverance. It begs the question, with the Year of Code almost upon us, in which schools will begin teaching programming to pupils, can we look forward to even more young geniuses?

Qureshi, who’s now six and hails from Coventry, smashes the records set by the previous holders for youngest Microsoft Certified Professional. Arfa Karim was nine-years-old when she passed, as was Babar Iqbal and Pranav Kalyan. Since becoming a Microsoft Certified Professional, Qureshi spends two hours each day studying operating systems and software. He’s also built his own home network. He dreams of kick-starting Britain’s own answer to California’s Silicon Valley, a tech hub which he wants to call E-Valley. He also maintains his own website, in which he calls himself ‘the little IT genius.’

And if Qureshi’s ever looking for a job, may we humbly offer our services. As IT recruitment specialists, we’re pros at placing the right candidates in the right roles. If you’re looking for jobs in IT in London, we’re here to help. Whether you’re seeking a new role in the industry, or wish to fill a vacancy, it couldn’t be easier. Simply contact us on 020 7281 0934 or email us at enquiry@sigmais.co.uk.